The unconventional journey of Nick Minnerath, The Cape Cod Kid turned Gulf Scoring King

DUBAI (UAE) - Here's a quick one-liner one could use to profile Nick Minnerath: Former All-NBA G-League Second Team player with the Canton Charge and current star of Shabab Al Ahli - Dubai in the West Asia Super League (WASL) Gulf.

It's an efficient line to a certain level, highlighting that Minnerath once played at that stage and, even nearly 10 years after that, is still playing at a high level for his current team in the UAE.

"I HAVE BEEN TRULY BLESSED BY BASKETBALL AND WHAT IT HAS PROVIDED FOR ME AND MY FAMILY THROUGH HARD WORK AND NEVER GIVING UP."

Of course, you could also add a few more mentions about how he's starred in other leagues around the world, whether it's in Spain, France, Russia, China, Puerto Rico, or Korea. That's all factual and depicts how well-traveled and respected he is in basketball circles.

However, even with all that said, it would barely begin to reveal the depth of who Nick Minnerath is and the exceptional nature of his basketball journey.

Forget about being on the cusp of making it to the NBA; the thought of having a career overseas, let alone a professional basketball career, was far from what Minnerath had planned out for his future when he was younger.

He loved playing basketball, but in high school, he only played in his sophomore year. He failed to qualify academically in his freshman and junior years. Early in his senior year, Minnerath broke his ankle. If that wasn't enough to place him off the conventional route to becoming a professional basketball player, he then spent two more years "doing the wrong things.".

Eventually, all of those early struggles pushed Minnerath to a turning point.

"You get to a point where you get strung out enough, when you wake up every day and don't like what you're doing," Minnerath told NPR back in 2016. "You don't like who you are. You look in the mirror, and you're disgusted with yourself, really."

So at 20 years of age, Minnerath began to get back on track without regard for how far away he had strayed from the traditional starting point.

"I realized when I was 20 years old I had no valid options in my life to make a living," he recently told FIBA.basketball. "That’s when I was given an opportunity to go back to school on a basketball scholarship and was able to change my life forever and turn it around."

With determination and self-belief, the 2.06M (6'9") forward willed his way through a whirlwind of a (stellar) 2-year Junior College stint at Jackson Community College, transferring to Detroit Mercy in NCAA D1 for another two standout seasons that sandwiched a torn ACL and MCL injury, all the while earning a four-year bachelor's degree in communications.

Stepping away from your comfort zone and what you know to pursue an ambitious goal can be one of the hardest things to do, but that's what Minnerath did with basketball as a vehicle.

"Everyone has challenges chasing their dreams. My challenges were more unique than most because I started from scratch at 20 years old. I only played one season of high school basketball. Moving away from home and going back to school was the biggest obstacle," he said.

"Basketball has always been a tool for me in my life; starting my basketball journey later in life was more about survival than enjoyment," he also added. "Basketball has truly changed my entire life for me and my family; that’s why I take it so seriously."

It's easy to say that you take basketball seriously. It's a bit harder to get up and put in the effort into playing basketball worthy of saying, "Take it seriously." But the hardest thing is to do all of that and have a track record where no one can deny the fact that you take this beloved game seriously.

And that's the kind of resume Minnerath has compiled and on which he continues to build.

Since then, Minnerath has gone on to start his professional career in Liga ACB in Spain. In 2014, he'd play in France, including with LNB Pro-A side Cholet Basket. While he was doing relatively well compared to where he was a few years ago, it was his third year of professional basketball that significantly impacted his career.

"I opted out of going overseas [from home] because I didn’t like the money I was being offered, so I decided to stay home and weigh my options," he explained. "I ended up receiving a call from the Cleveland Cavaliers about joining their training camp and making their final roster spot. Spending time around that championship Cavs team and gaining more confidence in myself changed everything for me."

Minnerath also talked about how it felt to play with a player in the class of LeBron James on the Cavs team (not "starstruck," but more in the sense of "confidence-boosting) in detail on his podcast, "The Cape Cod Kid".

"I ended up finishing the season with the Cavs [G-League] affiliate team, having a great season, and earning a big contract in Russia the following season, which again lifted my career forward even more."

That might even be an understatement. After playing for Canton Charge, where he was named to the All-NBA G-League Second Team, Minnerath began a run of taking claim as one of the most feared scorers in each league he suited up in.

With Avtodor Saratov, Minnerath was the VTB United League leading scorer in 2017 with 23.3 points per game. That same year, he led the Basketball Champions League (BCL) in scoring in the inaugural season with 20.3 points per game.

Wherever he went, whether it was with the Shanghai Sharks or the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, with Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico, or with the Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights in Korea, Minnerath would use his sweet-shooting touch and athleticism to score buckets for his teams.

It's a product of something that Minnerath learned throughout his journey as a professional player: you can be a really good basketball player, but to make it as a pro, you have to figure out that one thing that you can do well and that teams can count on you to always provide. For Minnerath, it was finding ways to put points on the board.

That's why it's no surprise that Minnerath finished the inaugural season of WASL-Gulf as the leading scorer with 284 points (25.8 per game) and, at the end of the 2023 calendar year, has a 100-point lead atop the all-time scoring list at 358 points.

By being consistent in what he can do on the court, Minnerath has the chance to do what he does around the world and continue to grow as a human being off the court as well.

"Playing all over the world has shaped my entire outlook on life," he explained. "Seeing and understanding different cultures and the way people live has truly given me a greater understanding and picture of what the world looks like. Playing in so many different leagues, you experience different challenges because of how different the game is played all over."

It's never easy to go from one place to another, but Minnerath has a firm grasp of how it's done, which is why he's been able to experience this relative level of success.

"Adaptability is the only way to truly survive playing overseas; every country is so different in how they interact with each other: what is respectful, what is not, the style of play, what is expected, et cetera. If you cannot be open-minded and learn to adapt to your surroundings, you can't have a successful career."

All in all, Minnerath's journey is certainly not a traditional one. He didn't have his name thrown around through high school, attached to highlight reels of ridiculous dunks or blocks. He wasn't highly recruited by a blue-blood or high-level NCAA Division 1 school.

Yet here he is, currently (and having cemented his name as) one of the best scorers in each league in which he plays. Minnerath would not have done it in any other way.

"An unconventional journey will always leave you with no regrets," he said. "My life felt like it was over at 20 years old. To see what I have accomplished and the success I have had has left me incredibly fulfilled with everything I have done. I never expected to even go back to school and earn a college degree, let alone play over a decade professionally. Sometimes, the unconventional route leaves you more satisfied because of how much you truly had to overcome."

Minnerath's gratitude for the way his path has unfolded has also motivated him, despite the irony of being a gifted scorer, to focus on dishing out assists—albeit off the court—by passing on his story as a motivational story for anyone willing to listen. His aforementioned podcast talks at length about his career, including the struggles, how he overcame those obstacles, and more.

"I always share my story because many kids have issues in school and end up falling away from athletics. I just tell people about my journey and how Junior College can turn someone's life around, giving people the opportunity to use sports to go back to school, earn scholarships, and revamp their career dreams."

However, when it's all said and done, what matters most is that Minnerath is doing what he loves, traveling the world, and taking care of his family.

"My outlook on the world and how truly blessed I have been is what is most rewarding for me. I have been truly blessed by basketball and what it has provided for me and my family through hard work and never giving up."

FIBA